


Surprise

by kayisdreaming



Series: Odin Sphere Ficlets [6]
Category: Odin Sphere
Genre: F/M, I have no regrets, Ridiculously fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 06:22:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11572194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayisdreaming/pseuds/kayisdreaming
Summary: Cornelius wishes to surprise Velvet to make her feel better. At least one person in this pairing will receive a surprise.





	Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Per request!

                “Prince Cornelius . . . where are you taking me?” Velvet had asked a couple times now, certainly more insistent than she usually was. Despite his insistence that it was a secret, and that he was certain she would enjoy it, still she asked. Not that he would complain—he loved her voice and he loved being so near her and he loved everything about her. 

                He wished he could just turn around, cup her cheeks and hush her questions with sweet kisses. Give soothing and encouraging words as he ran his fingers through her hair. At most right now, he might turn around and wind up with her knee slamming against his nose. He couldn’t even pull her along by holding her hand, as it would only hurt her. Oh, how he hated being a beast.

                “Please have faith, Princess.” He smiled, looking back at her over his shoulder.

                Her expression most certainly softened as she looked down at him, her mouth shutting to block off what was inevitably another question. She had been surprising him a lot lately with those. Usually she was so quiet, thinking through absolutely everything. Sure, she was still quiet by nature, but . . . somehow it seemed less so recently.

                It was that which made him so worried. Which sparked him to do this whole thing. Now, if his timing had been right, everything would be ready to go in time. He had purposely asked that the pooka merchant _not_ be waiting for them at the edge of Elrit forest. And he had _specifically_ directed them the longest way around the Pooka city. He had no doubt that she knew where she was, and exactly the right way to go. But she was not complaining about it.

                And that was not the point.

                The point was the little cottage in front of them now. It was right on the edge of the Pooka city, among houses that were, according to the Pooka merchant, made first when they had first come here, but had been wrong for one reason or another and thus never lived in. Cornelius could well believe that, from the state this thing had been in when he had first seen it. The material and design was all wrong, the foundation not quite supported right.

                And Cornelius had assisted enough in Titania to know _exactly_ what it needed. It took a long time with the lesser reach and far more limited resources, but he was determined.

                Smiling, he reached for the door, opening it for his princess. “After you.”

                She looked at him for a long moment before entering inside. He was close behind, heart thudding as he closed the door behind him. Was it a pooka thing for the heart to beat so fast?

                “Cornelius, what is this?” She asked, looking back at him. Her eyes were wide, cheeks showing just the faintest amount of pink.

                He bounced past her toward the middle-ish of the cottage, to the stone fireplace along the wall. Good—it looked like everything had been set right when he needed it. He would absolutely have to find those special recipes for Maury, just to thank him for finding those missing ingredients and setting this up when they were almost home.

                “Please, make yourself comfortable.” He said, stirring the contents of the pot once before motioning to the nicely-made dinner table. He had spent all of the previous night setting this up, making sure the cottage looked clean and homey and wonderful. Perhaps it was a little too cozy—it didn’t exactly look lived-in.

                She watched him for a moment, and he took the opportunity to make sure nothing was burning. No—the stew was perfect. Absolutely perfect. When he looked back, she was so gracefully sitting down on one of the chairs, setting her chain by her feet. She flattened her skirt, glancing over at him before resting her hands in her lap.

                When the broth was bubbling just slightly, giving off the loveliest aroma, he popped over to the other part of the kitchen. The bowls and trays had already been set out the night before. They were the prettiest ones he could find from Titania, one with little stars painted in the ceramic. He wouldn’t have the balance for two at a time, he knew, so at least he could start with Velvet’s.

                Tray in hand, he went back to the cauldron over the fire. It took a bit of balance to manage both the ladle and the tray, but there was a benefit to having such wide hips as a pooka. He was careful not to overfill it, and was even more cautious as he shifted the tray back between his hands . . . paws. Still pleased with himself, he took the tray and began traversing back to where she sat, head held high.

                And that was where it went wrong. In an incredible display of clumsiness, he tripped over his feet, the long tip of one being snagged behind the other. With as little grace as a rock, he fell forward, landing hard on his chest and arms. The bowl flew off the tray still in his hands, shattering on the stone floor and spilling the contents everywhere. The beautiful ceramic stars were as scattered on the floor as they were in the night sky.

                He groaned, just letting his forehead press against the cool rock surface. He didn’t want to look up—to see her expression of disappointment or, worse, that he had spilled everything on her. To think that he could take on and defeat a dragon and be so clumsy with this still-unfamiliar body. If time could stop here, he would probably be okay with it.

                Cornelius could feel Velvet’s gentle touch along his cheek and under one of his arms. She eased him up, and instinct had him follow. Her lips were turned down in concern, eyebrows slightly scrunched together.

                “Prince Cornelius,” she said, voice as soft and tender as her touch, “are you alright?”

                Had he his normal body, he knew his face would turn red in shame. It seemed, however, that the drooping of his ears might express it enough. “T’was meant to be wonderful.” He muttered.

                Velvet smiled. Much to his surprise, she leaned forward and kissed him, the action so sweet that he could nearly forget his shame. “Never before has something so wonderful been done for me.”

                His ears drooped just a bit more, looking down at the broken pottery scattered on the floor. “It would have been. But I have . . . ruined it.”

                Velvet looked at the mess on the floor, then to the cauldron, and then to the kitchen. In time, her eyes rested back on him. Still smiling, she took his hand and led him to the chair nearest hers. He obediently sat, watching as she maneuvered around the mess. She took the second bowl on the counter, a blander red one that he had reserved for himself.

                He watched with a sort of awe as she still avoided the mess of stew and porcelain on the floor, taking the last ladle of stew in the pot and filling the bowl halfway. Smiling, she brought it back to him, placing the bowl between them as she sat back down. She took a small spoonful, the amount having a decent combination of the ingredients within it. It was a moment before she tasted it, and the blush returned back to her cheeks.

                Before he had his senses back to react, she took another spoonful and offered it to him, her expression so pleasant that it made his heart pound once more.

“Something this wonderful must be shared.” She added.

Cornelius took a bite, letting the flavor run over his tongue. Maury’s had been better, back when he had first tried it. He had remembered the other pooka mentioning Velvet’s partiality toward it, and had been determined to emulate it. Even enlisting the other, this was hardly a point of comparison. Still, he could not deny how happy she looked.

“Truly?” He asked, beaming when she nodded.

 

In time, the bowl was emptied between the two of them, the bites switched off so they both might enjoy it. He tried once to be the one to offer the bite, but his body once again proved to make it difficult. Still, she didn’t seem to mind it. She truly was a blessing.

When dinner was done and the mess cleaned, they found themselves on the decently-sized bed on the upper floor of the cottage. Her back was against the headboard of the bed, and his head was in her lap. Idly, she was running her fingers through his hair. He enjoyed the moment between them, almost being lured into a half-sleep.

“Prince Cornelius?” She asked, tone so soft he could hardly grasp the words.

“Yes?”

“What had inspired you to do this?”

He was silent for a long moment. He couldn’t really think of a reason why. At some point, Cornelius knew he wanted to do this for her. He wanted to give her a place that could be theirs, and a moment that he knew neither had in such a long time. At some point, it had become enveloping, and he had been determined to see it through.

“I only wished for you to be happy. Nothing else.” He rolled over a bit so that he might look up at her.

The blush on her cheeks was darker than he had seen it in a long time. She glanced away for a moment, her fingers stilling. “I . . . “

He froze. “Did I say something wrong?”

She shook her head. “No, I just . . . my happiness is never greater than when I am with you. With you I feel . . . warm. Safe.”

If he could blush, he knew he would be. He had always hoped that this might be the case, that he might be able to make her the happiest. As happy as she made him. And yet he had never heard it, nor had he expected to hear such a selfish hope granted.

It seemed that, in his efforts to surprise her, she had been the one to surprise him instead.

**Author's Note:**

> I have to admit, this one was a real challenge. We don't get a lot of reference for them as a couple, which is a damn shame.


End file.
